Iran missiles

The strikes were in retaliation for US strikes launched on Tuesday evening, which struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites, according to CENTCOM.

Iran’s goal is to up the ante in the region, such that it feels it can do what it wants, when it wants. It has been doing this already for 45 years. However, now it feels emboldened.

The latest IDF attacks further reduced these newly restored air defenses, enabling the air force to attack more freely within Iran if the current round of fighting were to continue.

Netanyahu reportedly informed the US of his decision to strike Iran at a very late stage in the planning.

Iran International reported that missile launches toward Israel may have been carried out under pre-established protocols without coordination with Khamenei’s office.

While Israeli officials argue that these events demonstrate that the Iranian nuclear negotiations and the Lebanese arena remain separate tracks, concerns were raised behind closed doors.

Celebrations were seemingly held in Tehran and Kermanshah, where crowds were recorded waving the regime’s flag alongside the flag of Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based arm of the IRGC.

The current conflict — the first war of the post-Khamenei era — is more than another confrontation with Tehran. It is a sign that the regional order born in 1979 is beginning to unravel.

Saudi, Qatari leadership coordinate mediation and de-escalation between US, Iran • All flights to and from Iran canceled until further notice • IDF issues evacuation warning for southern Lebanon

Two IDF soldiers killed, four wounded over weekend in Lebanon • US downs Iranian drones in Hormuz • Pentagon reportedly raises Israel's espionage threat level to 'critical'